The present invention relates to shifters having a knob adapted for “one-touch” assembly, which facilitates assembly of the knob to the shifter post with a simple motion and without the need for secondary operations.
The automotive industry is extremely competitive, and as a result minimizing the cost of components and assembly time are very important, along with maintaining high quality and visual standards of the final product. This is especially true for items that the consumer touches and sees every time they ride in and/or drive a vehicle. Shifters are one such item. In fact, shifter knobs are often an “identity” item in a vehicle. This leads to very high standards in terms of high visual and “feel” standards, along with high standards for durability and robustness of assembly, low cost (including components and assembly time), and consistency and ease of assembly. At the same time, it is important that a shifter be configured for assembly at remote locations, so that component decisions can be made at the last possible time (which helps minimize product inventories and gives consumers maximum choice). However, this “last minute flexibility” must be done potentially without sacrificing quality.
As a result of the above, there is room for improvement in known existing shifter designs. For example, many known shifters have knobs that attach with separate fasteners and that are visible, creating a poor appearance. Others have hidden attachment, but require costly components, “too many” components, and/or more assembly labor than is desired. Further, many known shifter designs are capable of being misassembled, which creates poor appearance and potentially loose shifter knobs (which consumers interpret as poor quality).